Electric sparking plug for gas-engines.



PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. A. BUCHNBR 3: B. P MoGLURE. ELEGTRIG SPARKING PLUG FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED HA3. 19, 1902.

UNITED ST T S;

Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC SPARKING PLUG FOR GAS-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,166, dated August Application filed March 19, 1902- To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT BUCHNER and ELMER P. MOCLURE, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Sparking Plugs for Gas-Engines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledrin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an electric sparking attachment for igniting the explosive charge in gas and vapor engines, as will be hereinafter set forth. Heretofore a great deal of trouble and annoyance have been experi: enced with devices of this character, both as to construction and operation. A sparking plug must necessarily be removed often in order. to keep the sparking points in a good working condition, and frequent removal and insertion soon wears out the engaging screwthreads sufliciently to cause a leak.

The object, therefore, of this invention is to provide a device of this kind that may be easily and conveniently inserted and removed and a tight joint maintained.

The figure in the drawing is a broken-away sectional view of the upper end of a cylinder and its inclosing water-jacket and the electrical connections.

In the drawing, A may represent an enginecylinder, B a water-jacket inclosing the water-space C, and D the removable cover of the water-jacket. r

The sparking-plug attachment consists of a number of parts, which will be described in detail. The end of the engine-cylinder is provided with an aperture 1 for the insertion of the lower end of a tube 2, which is threaded externally for engagement with the surrounding threaded surface 3 of the cylinder. The upper end of this tube extends out through the water-jacket cover D and is threaded exteriorly for the engagement of a lock-nut 4, which screws down to a bearing on the cover and holds the same ina tightly-closed position. The interior lower end of the tube 2 is contracted to form the annular spherical bearing-surface 5. A close-fitting sleeve 6 is in- Serial No. 98.940- (N0 model.)

serted in the tube 2, the lower part having an annular shoulder 7, which comes to a bearing on the corresponding adjacent surface of the tube and forms a perfectly tight ground joint and prevents all possibility of leakage. The lower end of the sleeve extends beyond the line of the shoulder part and stops flush with the lower, end of the inclosing tube. This ground joint may be formed in the upper end or at any point between the ends of the tube and sleeve instead of in the lower end, as shown. The upper end of the sleeve extends above the tube far enough to receive the bearing pressure of a nut 8, which has a threaded engagement with the exterior upper threaded end of the tube. By this means the sleeve is held close down to its bearing-seat, as shown. The insulating-bushing 9 is placed inside of the sleeve and projects from the respective ends thereof and has a longitudinal passage therethrough for the electrode-clamping rod 10, which is headed on the inner end and threaded on the upper end to receive the 'nut 11, which clamps the electrode firmly in place. A space ais provided between the adjacent surface of the sleeve and bushing for the insertion of the packing material 12 around the insulating-bushing. A packing-follower 13 has a threaded engagement with the interior sides of the sleeve and serves to tightly compress the packing into place and forms altogether a removable stufling-box. This arrangement provides an electric sparking device that may be removed and replaced in its Working position with facility, and it is easily repaired. The tube part may be cast with the cylinder; but the detachable tube shown is preferred and more especially so on account of convenience in making repairs.

Another important feature is that the device is inserted through the water-space and a large part of its surface exposed to the cooling action of the circulating liquid and the plug prevented from becoming heated.

In the electric circuit, 14 shows the location of the battery or other source of electric energy, and 15 the usual induction-coil located in the circuit. Leading from the battery one branch of the primary-circuit wire 16 connects with the end of a pin 17, the other 100 branch passing through the induction-coil and being attached to a pin 18 in line with the pin 17, the two pins being held in place by the insulating-body 19. The secondary-conductor wire 3 has one end secured in a binding-post 20, fixed in the water-jacket cover, and then passes through the coil in the circuit and is connected to the electrode 10, leading into the cylinder, and to the lower end of which is attached a sparking tip or point 21, the companion tip 22 being inserted in the sleeve 6. These tips are curved in the direction of each other and positioned to produce a sparking action when the circuit is closed. The circuit-controller consists of a spring-arm 23 and a contact-finger 24, mounted on pins 17 and 18, respectively, and insulated from each other by the body 19. The disengaged end of arm 23 has a pin 25 fixed therein and which has a continuous bearing with a revoluble disk 26, rigidly mounted on the engine-shaft 27. This disk is provided in its periphery with a recess 28, into which the pin 25 will drop once in each revolution and bring the arm and finger in contact, closing the circuit and igniting the explosive charge in the cylinder. The side walls of the recess will be beveled, so that the engaging pin will have a rolling contact and the circuit closed and broken instantaneously.

It is obvious that the circuit-controlling device may be varied from that shown and the a threaded engagement with the tube and drawing the sleeve into a close bearing position therewith, substantially as set forth.

lntestimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT BUGHNER. ELMER P. MGCLURE. Witnesses:

L. M. FREEMAN, L. B. CoUPLAND. 

